Aboriginal Place Names of New York
by William Martin Beauchamp
Published ©1907
New York State Education Dept.

Submitted by K. Torp

SCHOHARIE COUNTY
As-ca-le'-ge, defined as black cloth by A. Cusick, is Cobleskill according to Morgan.

Chaw-tick-og-nack was a creek between the Catskills and Schoharie creek on an early map.

De-was-e-go, at the bridge, was a fall in Schoharie creek in Gilboa.

Ga-la-ra-ga, a hill west of Schoharie creek in 1734.

Gog-ny-ta-wee, a hill on the southeast border of the town of Seward.

Kan-jea-ra-go-re or Canjearagra was a hill south of Vrooman's Nose in 1714. This hill was also so called in connection with the Bayard patent vacated in 1699, as well as in the application for it in 1695. The root of this is kanajea, a brass kettle, adding great, in the first form.

Ka-righ-on-don-te, a row of trees, was a chief's name, given to a recent castle in Vrooman's land. A variation of this is seen in Bishop Spangenberg's Onondaga name in 1745, which was Tgir-hitontie, a row of trees. These personal names were repeatedly used.

Ken-han-a-ga-ra is a name applied to Schoharie creek by French, in its course through this county. The definition given by A. Cusick, there lies the river, seems best fitted to its junction with the Mohawk, but might be applied to any place where the trail reached an important stream. The map now gives a Kehanagara creek which is not the Schoharie.

Mo-he-gon-ter has been defined as a falling off, being the name of part of Mohegan hill, southeast of Middleburg.

On-con-ge-na, mountain of snakes, a hill opposite Middleburg, but the definition seems more than doubtful.

O-neen-ta-da-she, round the hill, a hill north of Seward Valley. In its variations this is a frequent name.

O-ne-ya-gine, stone, is Stone creek.

O-nis-ta-gra-wa, corn mountain, is a hill on the west side of Schoharie creek, just above Middleburg. Some of these names and definitions are from Simms, and this one answers very well.

Ots-ga-ra-gee, hemp hill, is the Indian name for Cobleskill, and may be compared with one already given. The name has also been applied to Howes cave. The present Onondaga word for hemp is osekah, but Zeisberger has it ochschiara, and this fairly agrees with the name.

O-wa-ere-sou-ere is a conical hill near the south line of Carlisle, and is one of the highest points in the county.

Oxt-don-tee was a hill east of Schoharie creek, and may be compared with Karighondontee.

Sa-ga-wan-nah is a mountain in this county. It might be derived from asaga, to have a cough, and gowanne, great, from, the hard breathing caused in climbing it; or it might come from atsagannen, to speak a different language, as being on a border land.

Scho-ha'-rie, driftwood, is written Sko-har'-le by Morgan. There are many early forms. Spafford derived it from its present form, which, " according to Brandt, is an Indian word signifying drift or flood wood ; the creek of that name running at the foot of a steep precipice for many miles, from which it collects great quantities of wood." Simms wrote [Hist. Mag. Ser. 3, 1:129]:
"Schoharie — driftwood in the river. This is, it is true, the signification of the word ; but a better idea of its whole meaning, as the name was local, would be 'the driftwood,' as to produce driftwood a stream of water is implied." Then he says that about the year 1703 there was a great accumulation of this just above the present village of Middle-burg. There was heavy timber along the banks, and tributary streams made an obstruction when trees fell. A raft was formed, which was long used by the settlers and Indians for a foot bridge. The word river is not included in the name. Hough has it a natural bridge of driftwood.

To-was-scho'-her is given by French as the original name of Schoharie creek, and this certainly implies a bridge of driftwood.
To-wok-nou-ra, one that is near, is Spring hill, west of Middleburg.

Ut-sy-ant-hi-a lake, beautiful spring, cold and pure; all this is implied in this name, though not fully expressed. French says : " This lake is 1800 feet above tide. It is often mentioned in old documents, and was an angle in the bounds of Albany co. in colonial times. It is the source of the w. branch of the Delaware," and, is also called Summit lake.